OUTLOOK  First off, we wanted to start by thanking everyone who came out for our 2023 Stillwater Fly Tying Jam Session. It was amazing to see all the innovative lake patterns and we hope everyone who attended learned a thing or two. If you missed the event, or just want a little review of the patterns covered, we have an article at the end of the report on some of the highlighted flies, recipes and cool new materials. We also have a video on one of the flies that caught our eye. It is Eric’s Fritz Searching Damsel.  You can check that video out in the article as well if you want to sit down at the vice tonight.   On the fishing and weather front,…

OUTLOOK  Big news this week on the saltwater regulations front! There is good news and bad news. It looks as though there might be areas close to Vancouver where they will “test” marked selective fisheries (MSF). In a nutshell what does this mean? If all goes as planned, we will have limited areas during the April – July closures where we will be able to retain hatchery chinook!   We will be keeping a keen eye on this and will keep you up to date.  Now that’s the good news. The bad news is there are more proposed SRKW (Southern Resident Killer Whale) closures. If they come to pass, it is going to dramatically affect fishing off the mouth of the Fraser and many other areas…

In this report I will talk about two topics, all of which you are going to want to know if you fish for chinook in and around the Vancouver area.  First, the chinook fishery off the Fraser Mouth in September is in serious jeopardy.  You will want to read about this and act by filling out the survey.  There is a very real risk it will be closed this year due to SRKW measures from the N Arm to S Arm, Aug 1 to Oct 31. Second, the numbers are in from last year’s chinook returns and it’s good news.  We saw major rebounds in stocks of concern from very low brood stock years, with strong returns on local rivers and on the Island. Check…

OUTLOOK  Well, the weatherman was a little off last week. The storm that was forecast didn’t materialize. We expected a blowout on the Squamish and steady water conditions on the Chilliwack. The Squamish didn’t budge and stayed low and clear. The Chilliwack didn’t blowout but we did see some milkier colored water. We then saw a spike on the Squamish Wednesday that made for some good water levels mid-week, but it dropped fast. As we write the report it’s low and clear.  We have some more rain in the forecast for the entire Lower Mainland but it looks to be relatively low amounts of precipitation. This should translate into low water conditions but nothing that should turn you away from heading out.   Reports all week…

OUTLOOK We have an interesting week of weather coming and it’s well worth paying attention too if you are heading out on the water.  There is a big storm on the horizon that is rolling in today. The majority of it will hit Vancouver and up the Sea to Sky corridor but enough water is coming to the valley to change the fishing conditions on the Chilliwack. We saw low clear water all week so rain is a good thing. The question will be how much rain and when the windows of perfect water levels will happen for the local flows. In the report this week we look at both the Squamish and the Chilliwack with this in mind. We also have some cool video…

OUTLOOK  There is a solid weekend of fishing weather incoming but, a cold snap is on the horizon. With temperatures in the high single digits today through Sunday it looks like a good weekend to get out but, it is going to get cold Sunday and into next week so expect fishing to change.   In this week’s report we have details on the Sea to Sky corridor and the Valley rivers. Fishing has been solid with good numbers of steelhead being caught on the Chilliwack and bulltrout fishing on the Squamish still well worth the trip. We expect this to continue over the weekend but the cold spell coming is going to drop water levels fast and next week we expect challenging conditions.   With river…

OUTLOOK  Seasonally normal weather incoming! It’s funny that we are excited about seasonably “normal” weather but, for the last 5 months, we have seen very little “normal” weather. This week’s forecast is not perfect for fishing but we can say it is a “good” forecast and should be more predictable in how it affects our river fishing.  What is in this predicable forecast? We are seeing mid-single digit temperatures and a little bump of water on Saturday across the Lower Mainland. Outside of Saturday it will be a mix of sun cloud and the odd sprinkling of rain.   Overall, this means we will see rivers dropping but the bump of rain on Saturday will make sure that it doesn’t drop too fast and should maintain…

OUTLOOK  Friday the 13th and an INCOMING STORM WARNING!   As we are writing the report, we are seeing a forecast that needs to be on your radar if you are heading out fishing over the next 5 days.   The heavy rain is focused on the Sea to Sky Corridor but we will also see a fair amount of rain up the Fraser Valley.   If the numbers are correct, the Squamish area will see upwards of 50mm or more on Friday and that, combined with the heavy rain Thursday and into Friday morning, could cause flooding. We expect high, blown-out conditions but, as we all know, timing a fishing trip just before water gets too high or just as it comes down is the best strategy…

OUTLOOK  The first week of 2023 is in the books! It’s been a pretty good start to the year for river fishing. We are hearing positive steelhead reports from the Chilliwack and though the Squamish is back to low and clear conditions, bulltrout fishing over the last 10 days has been good as the water dropped from highs after Boxing Day. We have some damp relatively warm weather in the forecast for the weekend and into next week. This is good news. Consistent 5-10mm rain should keep rivers at a nice fishing level and though it is early in the season it is worth heading out.   In this week’s report, we have a Chilliwack and a Squamish update. The Squamish will get more water than…